On The Edge: A First Look at the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort]

Breaking News! Ulysse Nardin has just announced the latest in its series of mechanical wonders, the Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort], and it’s kind of amazing.

In short, the independent brand has taken its award-winning flying tourbillon from 2015, with its revolutionary Anchor Constant Escapement, and married it with a material invented in the 1800s in the form of a maillechort dial, all within a boldly futuristic 45mm white gold case.

 How was Ulysse Nardin able to combine all these elements into one cohesive (and totally awesome-looking) limited edition Blast? Let’s take a look.

Like the Freaks that preceded it, the Blast is an unconventional creation that marries bold fusion design with groundbreaking technology. First introduced in 2020, the Blast collection was conceived to bring avant-garde design and materials to the world of haute horlogerie. Instead of being disruptive for disruption’s sake, the Blast’s calling cards are its distinctive angular silhouette and open-worked dials – features meant to highlight UN’s mastery of classic complications by highlighting the intricate mechanics and innovative material within.

If you take a trip back in time and read through the reviews, you will see the word “character” repeated over and over again. This 2025 Blast is as charismatic as its forebears.
 

The Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort] is powered by the UN-176 calibre, which is based on the calibre that won Ulysse Nardin the Tourbillon Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2015. Combined with the skeletonized “X” shaped dial and the layered case construction, this 45mm watch looks like it could float away.

That said, this clever flying tourbillon complication is grounded by the Ulysse Anchor Constant Escapement. This revolutionary constant escapement features a circular frame with a pallet fork fixed in the center, which in turn is supported in space on two blade springs, each less than a quarter of the thickness of a hair in diameter.
 

Mounted perpendicular to each other, these blades are subjected to a bending force that curves them and maintains them. This feat of engineering guarantees a perfectly even impulse on the balance wheel, irrespective of the watch’s power reserve.

Moreover, the silicon technology incorporated into the hairspring and the escapement makes the jewels usually found in the escapement wheel and the anchor pivot superfluous.

Other lighter-than-air concepts include a double barrel, positioned at 12 o’clock, without any visible attachment on the surface. One barrel is fully exposed, while the other operates unseen. Precision ball bearings hold everything in perfect alignment. The energy it accumulates provides the timepiece with an exceptional autonomy of seven days.
 

Also floating within the display is a highly original power reserve display at 4 o’clock. Here, the arrow indicator remains static while three bands encircle the mechanism. Basically, three bands mean your power reserve is full, while one means it’s almost empty.

The Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort] is one of those watches where its form follows function, making it hard to separate the mechanics from the aesthetics.

In addition to the aforementioned tourbillon and unusual power reserve display, you will find additional flying mechanisms on either side of the barrel: on its left, an intermediate wheel, power reserve differential, and a reduction gear; on its right, the winding mechanism that connects it to the crown’s winding stem, allowing the engagement of the winding system train or the time setting.
 

But what is maillechort? Also known as German silver or nickel silver, it is an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc. Maillechort has been described as a “living metal” that develops a one-of-a-kind patina over time, making each piece unique. More difficult to manufacture than brass due to its hardness and complex composition, Ulysse Nardin has employed this distinctive silvery material to craft the dial of this new piece.
 

Viewed from beneath the ultra-glass box (carved from a single block of sapphire crystal) or through the sides of the case, it’s almost as if different personalities emerge depending on the angle of the wrist. Adding to this chameleon-like effect are the facets of the futuristic satin-finished and polished white gold case.

Priced at $126,600 USD (VAT excluded) and available now, the 50-piece limited edition Blast [Free Wheel Maillechort] comes on a waterproof, blue velvet-effect rubber strap paired with a white gold folding buckle. For more information, visit the Ulysse Nardin website.